If you’re a graduating senior like me, realizing that we only have about 30 days left at this amazing university may have opened your eyes a little bit. In just under a month, we’ll walk that stage and wave farewell to our undergraduate status. So many changes will follow, and it can be intimidating to be thrust into new environments with little warning. As the youngest in my family, I’ve been given the opportunity to closely watch my sibling adjust to a post-college lifestyle and from that I’ve gained some simple tips that can make the transition less chaotic.
Maintain your relationships.
Some of us may be traveling to pursue our careers, and while bittersweet, the importance of staying connected to your friends and family is so understated. Meeting new people and forming new circles can be complicated but having a support system back home to help quell your anxieties and frustrations can support you until you establish those new circles. Living in an unfamiliar area can make things both exciting but also foreign at times and having a handful of familiar faces to call on can keep the homesickness at bay and assist you in navigating your new life.
Create and follow a routine.
It’s no lie that things will be hectic at first. Assignment due dates will become project deadlines, and unreasonable professors will become unruly managers. It’s very easy to get caught up in the workflow while leaving the other aspects of your life to fall apart. Even if it just relates to small tasks that you carry out daily, having some form of routine or schedule in place can help keep all the other areas of your life in check while you focus on your main goals and priorities. Within the routine one recommendation I have is to make sure that you allot time for yourself to unwind. Burnout can halt a lot of your motivation, so combatting that in healthy and relaxing ways is key to maintaining the routine.
Be flexible.
Leaving college will inevitably settle you with different responsibilities than the ones from your time in the schooling system. With those responsibilities comes an entirely new set of curveballs that life can throw at you as well. How you adapt to those situations can make the difference between making a good situation great, or a bad situation worse. Whether it’s an unexpected flat tire or a random raise in your pay, being able to think critically and adjust to the change can leave you feeling more secure in your day-to-day life.